Carlos Alcaraz beat lucky loser Jan-Lennard Struff in the Madrid Open final on Sunday to defend last year's title and win his fourth ATP Tour trophy of the year
It's got something to do with Hardik Pandya.
Nick Kyrgios has invigorated the Championship and men's tennis generally with firecracker personality
Certainly the prospect of another showdown at the US Open in a few weeks is exciting, but whether or not 23-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic can stretch his career long enough to battle Carlos Alcaraz on a regular basis is questionable.
Despite all the trials and tribulations he suffered in the build-up, no one could prevent Nadal from lifting the Musketeers' Cup for a record-extending 14th time.
IMAGES from Day 5 of the US Open, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows, New York, on Friday.
The Serbian top seed won a fourth successive title at the All England Club to take his overall Grand Slam tally to 21.
Thirteen-time champion Rafael Nadal, 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer and world number one Novak Djokovic were placed in the same half of the French Open draw on Thursday.
World number one Carlos Alcaraz will not play in the Australian Open after picking up a right leg muscle injury during pre-season training, the Spaniard said on Friday.
Alexander Zverev overcame late nerves to beat world number one Novak Djokovic on Saturday and set up a final showdown with Daniil Medvedev at the ATP Finals.
'There is so much excitement brewing about Wednesday's Alcaraz and Rune quarter-finals showdown -- it could well be a juicy foretaste of things to come.'
While the announcement prompted outcry in Australia, pot-shots were taken at Djokovic on the internet as the saga fuelled a string of memes. Here are some that brought on more than a few chuckles...
Daniil Medvedev will play Rafael Nadal for the Australian Open title on Sunday after a stirring victory over Greek fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-final on Friday.
Novak Djokovic, who won Wimbledon to take his major singles titles to 21, has opted not to be vaccinated against COVID-19. He said on Thursday he could not fly to New York for the year's final Grand Slam.
World number one Novak Djokovic was furious with the chair umpire for not suspending play as rain trickled down during his Italian Open second-round match against American Taylor Fritz.
British wildcard Liam Broady claimed the biggest win of his career and the biggest shock of Wimbledon 2023 when he stunned Norwegian fourth seed Casper Ruud 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-0 in front of a delirious Centre Court crowd.
World men's tennis No. 1 Novak Djokovic headed reluctantly home on Monday after being kicked out of Australia because of his COVID-19 unvaccinated status, but the government left the door open for a possible return to his favourite Grand Slam in 2023.
Novak Djokovic was confused about who had issued him with a medical exemption to enter Australia when interviewed by the Australian Border Force last week, according to transcripts of the interview.
Novak Djokovic, the world number one ranked men's player, has reiterated his stand about freedom of choice over taking the COVID-19 vaccine as suspense grows over his participation at the Australian Open in January.
'I wanted to fight until the last ball and that was the key.'
Novak Djokovic will spend at least the next 72 hours in a Melbourne hotel before the next hearing in his fight to overturn a ban on entering Australia is held on Monday.
Novak Djokovic now also has an admirer of his basketball skills in American great LeBron James.
Andy Murray saved five match points to defeat Jiri Lehecka at the Qatar Open on Friday and reach a first ATP Tour final since June last year.
Novak Djokovic will swiftly overcome the disappointment of failing to win a calendar Grand Slam and a record-breaking 21st major at the U.S. Open, former Yugoslavia Davis Cup coach Radmilo Armenulic said.
'The more you lose something, the more you want to win it, the more you want to gain it and take it.'
Novak Djokovic won a record-extending sixth Paris Masters title by avenging his U.S Open final defeat against Russian Daniil Medvedev with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory in Sunday's showpiece match.
World number one Novak Djokovic had to work hard for a three-set victory over Hungarian Marton Fucsovics at the Paris Masters on Tuesday in his first match since losing the U.S. Open final in September.
While Daniil Medvedev remained the world number one, 2022 Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic dropped to seventh position after the grass-court Grand Slam tournament was stripped of ranking points for banning Russian and Belarusian players.
Images from Day 13 of the French Open, at Roland Garros, in Paris.
Earlier, title holder Borna Coric beat American Sebastian Korda 7-6 (5), 6-4, while another home hope Taylor Fritz survived a first-set thriller to beat Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-6 (14), 6-2.
Nadal had said last week that daily training was a challenge and he would take a doctor with him to Paris
Nadal's great rival and fellow 20-times Grand Slam winner Roger Federer is also out of the US Open and will be sidelined for many months because he needs knee surgery.
World number one Novak Djokovic once again declined to reveal whether he has been vaccinated against COVID-19 and said he is unsure if he would defend his title at next year's Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic, who has won a record nine titles at Melbourne Park including the last three, has repeatedly declined to reveal whether he has been vaccinated against COVID-19, with Australian Open organisers Tennis Australia confirming that all players would have to be vaccinated to compete in Melbourne.
IMAGES from all the action on Day 7 of the US Open played at the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows in New York on Sunday.
Djokovic was deported from Australia, just hours after the court dismissed his effort to stay in the country to play at the Australian Open
Novak Djokovic's stunning disqualification from the US Open on Sunday for striking a line judge with a ball is the most difficult moment in his career, said his former coach Boris Becker.
Former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic has tested positive for COVID-19 after attending Novak Djokovic's Adria Tour exhibition event which also saw four tennis players test positive. The Croatian tennis great, who coaches World No 1 Djokovic, recently attended the tennis exhibition series in Serbia and Croatia.
Dominic Thiem and home crowd favourite Filip Krajinovic reached the final of Novak Djokovic's tournament as the world number one broke down in tears in front of a packed 4,000 crowd on Sunday. World number three Thiem beat Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets to set up the clash with Krajinovic.
World number one Novak Djokovic has been "playing by his own rules" and has put his bid for a 21st Grand Slam title at risk by not following Australia's COVID-19 vaccination requirements, world number four Stefanos Tsitsipas said on Thursday.
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